THE SPEECH ACT (The Theory and analysis) as Found in William Shakespere's works

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PRAGMATIC

THE SPEECH ACT

The Theory and analysis

Lecturer:

Rochmad Budi. S, M.Pd

By

Aris Hidayatulloh (123211005)

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTEMENT THE STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF SURAKARTA

2014

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I. Introduction

The writer takes “The speech act: The Theory and the Analysis” as the title for this

paper. As in the book by George Yule the meaning of the speech act is the action

performed via utterances.1 The utterance itself is the act of the expressed word in which

the context of the speech is considered in order the hearer can understand the speaker.

When the hearers assume the same assumption with the speaker, the dialogue will be

successfully done. In this case, the study of the speech act is needed to know how the will

be demonstrate to other people how the conversation gives the effect for the result.

Therefore, the writer wants to analyze the speech act in which the theory of Searle will be

used as main theory.

As a matter of consideration in making this paper, the writer uses several references

about speech act including the dialog from the manuscript by William Shakespeare to get

the result. The manuscript is written in the old English as originally written by William

Shakespeare. The result will be explained in the next chapter – discussion included the

quotation and the theory.

II. Discussion

a) The Theory

J.L Austin, a philosopher from Oxford, has developed the theory for the

utterance and the speech act. By foreshadowing the view about language-game from

Ludwig Wittgenstein in late 1930s, he coined the new theory about speech act. He

represented his theory in his lecture at Oxford in 1952-54 as the material. The other

philosopher has developed his theory like William James in which he delivered the

lecturer at Harvard.

Austin mentions that the speech can involve both the speaker and the listener.

The first element is Illocutionary act in which the speaker is the main thing to concern

the speech. In this case, the speakers produce the utterance for communicating to

others. This element is focused in the utterance whether the utterance will be given in

directed or implied meaning. The second element is the perlocutionary act which is

considered in the effect of the illocutionary act. For example when the bank robber

wants to rob the bank; he will say his utterance first to make some notices to the

1 Yule, George, Pragmatics, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996, pp. 47

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hearer such as the notice to take the money (e.g: Give me the money!). This act is

called illocutionary act. The back tellers in this case are afraid of the robber so how or

she will say something to the robber (e.g: Yes, right away!). This act is called

perlocutionary act. Besides those two elements, the other element that is laid in the

speech act is locutionary act which is considered in the basic in creating the

Illocutionary and perlocrionary act.

By the time the development of the theory, the other philosopher, Searle,

developed the theory from Austin. He took the view that the felicity conditions put

forward by Austin are not only ways in which a speech can be appropriate or

inappropriate, but they also jointly constitute the illocutionary force.2 The felicity

condition which is developed by Searle is focused in how the speech act can be done

in the constitutive rules. This rule is the requirement for the speech act in order that

the speaker and the hearer can easily understand the speaking.

Searle mentions that in doing the speech act, the speaker has to fulfill some

conditions to make the conversation run well. Those conditions are the condition for

promising and the condition for requesting. When the speakers want to make his or

her promise or the request, he or she has to fulfill several conditions. The first is the

propositional content. In a promise, it will be concerned with the speech act is about

and in a request this condition is concerned in the same way like in a promise. The

second is the preparatory condition. In a promise, this condition is concerned in how

the addressee would prefer the promised action to be accomplished and for a request;

this condition is that the speaker has reason to believe that the addressee has the

ability to carry out the action request. The third is the sincerity condition. In a

promise, this condition is used for concerning the speaker action to carry out the

future action and for a request the speaker wants his request to do by the hearer. The

last condition is the essential condition, which covers the fact that by the act of

uttering a promise. The action is the thing that the speaker wants in his promise and

for the request; the speaker wants the hearer to do his request.

There are five types of speech act which Searle developed in 1976. The first is

representative speech act which is formed by Austin in his performative or

constantive dichotomy. The speaker presents the world as he or she believes it is, thus

2 Huang, Yang, Pragmatics, New york: Oxford University Press, 2007 ,Pp.104

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making the words fit the world of believes.3 In the other hands, in doing this kind of

speech act, the speaker is speaking the truth about something he believes of the

expressed proposition including the paradigm of asserting, concluding, claiming,

reporting, and starting.

The second is the directive speech act which is attempts by the speaker to get

the addressee to do something including the paradigm of requesting and questioning.4

In the other word, this kind of speech act will get the addressee to do something as the

matter of the speaker order. The third is the commisive speech act which is concerned

in the addressee response for the future including the paradigm of offers, pledges,

promises, refusals, and treats.

The fourth is expressive speech act which is concerned the speaker expression

and the psychological from the speaker is involved in doing this kind of speech act

including the paradigm of apologizing, blaming, congratulating, praising, and

thanking. Some scholars of linguistic, especially in pragmatic, have argued that the

joy and the sorrow is the thing which will the speaker concern about.

The last is the declarative speech act which will be concerned in the effect

immediate changes in some current state of affairs.5 The paradigms included in this

speech act are bidding in the bridge, declaring war, excommunicating, firing from

employment, and nominating the candidate.

In forming the speech act activities, the speaker can do some possibilities to

ask the hearer to do something. In forming the imperative, declarative, and

interrogative sentence, the speaker do the conversation directly to the hearer. The goal

is to make the listener understand what he or she wants. In this case, the speech act

can be possible be done by the speaker in the speech act called direct speech. For

example when the teacher asks the students to do a favor to her such erasing the white

board “Andi, Can you clean the white board for me?”. As a matter of fact, the teacher

wants his or her student to clean the white board for her.

It is different from the indirect speech act which is done indirectly by the

speaker. Indirect speech is the speech act to get someone else to do something

indirectly.6 The speaker can do the speech act in several forms such as the declarative

sentence in which the goal from the speech act is to give the order to the hearer. For

3 Retnaningsih, Woro, Pragmatic: The New Branch of Linguistics Studies, Surakarta: FATABA Press, 2013, pp. 59

4 Levinson, Stephen.C, Pragmatics, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1983, pp. 240

5 Huang, Yang, Pragmatics, New york: Oxford University Press, 2007 ,Pp.108

6 Rohmadi, Muhammad, Prakmatik: teori dan analisis, Yogyakarta: Lingkar Media Jogja, 2004, pp.33

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example if someone has already feel in hot condition he will say to other people with

“The weather is hot, isn’t it?”. In fact, he or she wants someone else to help her to

open de window or to turn on the air conditioner. In this case, the speaker does not

give the direct order to the hearer. This situation is called indirect speech.

B. The Analysis of the Speech Act (Using Searle’s Theory)

As the writer explained before, the writer uses the theory from Austin and

Searle as the main theory to analyze the speech act. The five type of the speech act

will be the consideration in analyzing the dialogue. To make the clear result, the

writer will explain the situation and the context from the speaker.

1. Representative

The situation takes place in a place in Denmark where the prince Hamlet

lives in a peace. His father was dead a couple months ago so his peace has

completely been changed into the black clouds (sadness). His mother, the queen

of Denmark is marrying her uncle, the brother from his ex-husband. Both of them

and also Hamlet is in the palace to celebrate the marriage. Both the Queen and the

Cousin are happy but not for the Prince, Hamlet.

Uncle : But, now my cousin Hamlet and my son.

Hamlet : A little more than kin, and less than kind.

Uncle : How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Hamlet : Not so, my lord, I am too much in the sun.

- From Hamlet the play written by William Shakespeare -

From the dialogue above, the dialogue between Hamlet and his uncle is

reflected to the Representative. He replies to his uncle about his feeling after

seeing his mother marries his uncle which actually makes his heart broken. As the

theory explained before the representative explains how the speaker will believe

his truth and says to the hearer about what he believes. That happens in the

dialogue above in which the declarative sentence is used for representing the idea.

The goal from the speaker is the hearer believes his own opinion or

feeling. In this case, making Hamlet’s uncle to belief that he is in too much in the

sun (happy) is the thing that he wants to say.

2. Directive

The situation takes place in the home of Juliet where her mother offers her

the marriage. He has reached his age to be married (more than 14). Her mother

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calls her to talk about it. In time the nurse and the rest of the maid is in the room

so Juliet’s mother ask them to let her to talk in secret with her daughter, Juliet.

She asks the nurse to get out also but after thinking for a while she calls the nurse

back to be her counselor.

The Nurse : Where is the girl? Juliet!, Juliet! Where is the girl?, Juliet!

Where is the girl? Juliet! [Calls Juliet]

Juliet : How now, who calls?

The Nurse : Your mother! Your lady mother! Juliet, it's your mother, your

lady mother. Make haste, girl. Make haste. Where were you?

Juliet : Madam, I am here. What is your will?

Juliet’s Mother : This is the matter.

The Nurse : Make haste, girls. Come on, come on. [Asks the maid to leave]

Juliet’s Mother : Nurse, um...give leave awhile, we must talk in secret.

[Staring at Juliet while thinking about the nurse to be her counselor]

Juliet’s mother : Nurse, come back again. I have remembered me. Thou's hear

our counsel.

- From Romeo and Juliet a play written by William Shakespeare -

The dialog above represents the directive speech act which is done by

Juliet’s mother. Juliet’s mother here is the speaker and the nurse is the hearer. As

the theory explained by Searle, the goal of directive speech act is the action from

the hearer. That is the same as in the dialogue above in which the speaker, Juliet’s

mother wants the nurse (the hearer to do something) that is leaving Juliet’s mother

and Juliet in the room in order the other cannot hear the counsel.

After thinking for a while, Juliet’s mother changes her mind. She calls back

the nurse to come back to the room. She wants the nurse to hear the counsel. The

quotation is described as follow:

Juliet’s Mother : Nurse, um...give leave awhile, we must talk in secret.

(Juliet’s mother wants all of people to leave including the nurse)

Juliet’s mother : Nurse, come back again. I have remembered me. Thou's hear

our counsel.

(Juliet’s mother wants the nurse to stay in the room)

If it is analyzed in the theory of the speech act, it will have the correlation

with the directive speech act in which the goal from this speech act is the hearer

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can do something for the speaker. In this case, Juliet’s mother wants the Nurse to

stay in the room.

3. Commissive

The situation takes place at the outside of Juliet house. She thinks about

Romeo near the window in his bedroom. Romeo hears the word of Juliet so he

wonders to speak with her but the situation is not in the right time. If Juliet’s

cousin knows Romeo, he will kill Romeo immediately. Romeo encourages

himself to speak with Juliet and suddenly appears from the bush.

Juliet : O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father, and

refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not be but sworn my love, and I'll no

longer be a Capulet.

Romeo : Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet : 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a

Montague. What is Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm nor

face nor any other part belonging to a man. O be some other name.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name

would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,

retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo,

doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee, take all

myself.

[Romeo Appears]

Romeo : I'll take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

henceforth I never will be Romeo.

Juliet : What man art thou, that thus bescreened in night so stumblest on my

counsel?

Romeo : By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear

saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it

written, I would tear the word.


From the dialogue above when Romeo says to Juliet that he loves her,

he says: “Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be

Romeo.” This dialoged is called the commisive speech act which the speaker do

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in order the hearer listen to his promise to the future including the vow from the

speaker to hearer. In this case, the vow is from Romeo to love Juliet.

The effect form this speech act is the response from the hearer which is

done by Juliet in dialogue above. The quotation is as follow:

Juliet : What man art thou, that thus bescreened in night so stumblest on my

counsel?

From the dialogue above, it can be concluded that Juliet gives the

response to Romeo by surprising and saying a word. She responses Romeo’s

speaking by asking who the man is. Thus, this speech act is called Commisive.

4. Expressive

The Situation takes place at the market of Verona Italy. The Capulet

servants named Sampson challenges one of the servants from Montague,

Abraham. The talk at first and they quarrel each other so do the people around

them, the Capulet and Montague people.

Abraham : Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

Sampson : No, sir. I do not bite my thumb at you, sir, but I do bite my

thumb, sir.

Gregory : Do you quarrel, sir?

Abraham : Quarrel, sir? No, no, no, sir.

Sampson : If you do, sir, I am for you. I serve as good a man as you.

Abraham : No better?

Sampson : Yes, better, sir.

Abraham : You lie.

[They Fight]

Abraham : Draw! Draw if you be men!

Sampson : Gregory, remember thy swashing blow! [Stares at Gregory]


Based on the dialogue above, when Sampson asks Abraham to quarrel

Gregory, Sampson friend says ”Do you quarrel, sir?” to ask Abraham to quarrel.

Abraham avoids quarreling but Sampson is lit the quarrel first so they are

quarreling to prove who the winner is. In his speaking Abraham says ”Draw!

Draw if you be men!”. When he said this word, he is angry to Sampson and says it

into his anger. In this case, the word “Draw! Draw if you be men!” is the word

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that expressed the felling from the speaker. Therefore it can be said as expressive

speech act because it has the relation with the emotion from the speaker whether it

is the anger or the joy.

5. Declaration

The situation takes place at outside of the palace of the prince of Verona.

After seeing Romeo and Juliet die in front of him, he decides to punish the entire

subject of Capulet and Montague. After the prince punishes them (Capulet and

Montague), they promise to live in peace without quarreling each other.

The Prince : Where be these enemies?

Capulet! Montague!

See what a scourge is laid upon your hate that heaven finds

means to kill your joys with love; and l, for winking at your

discords too, have lost a brace of kinsmen.

All are punished. All are punished!


From the word the prince said, the prince informs that all of the member of

Capulet and Montague are punished because they had made the mess. The prince

says” All are punished” to the subjects. It means that he is declaring the

punishment to the subject to all of the people including the member of the prince.

There can be said that this kind of speech is the declarative speech.

The goal of this speech act is to inform to the hearer about something which

is related to the situation.

C. The Direct Speech and Indirect Speech

1. Direct Speech

The situation takes place in the house of Capulet when the rest of the subject

form Capulet and Montague are attending for the party. The party is held by the

Capulet as they follow the culture of Italy. In time, Romeo sees Juliet and gazes at her

many times and wonders to talk with her. The meet in the hidden place and share their

love with their word. After a couple minutes, the Nurse comes and says to Juliet that

his mother wants to meet her. Juliet goes to her mother directly while Romeo asks

who Juliet is to the Nurse. The Nurse says to him that she is the daughter of Lady

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Capulet. Hearing about the news, Romeo leaves the place while Juliet wondering to

know the name of him.

Juliet : Come hither, nurse.

The Nurse : Hmm?

Juliet : What is yon gentleman?

The Nurse : Count Paris.

Juliet : No. What's he that follows there?

The Nurse : Oh! I know not.

Juliet : Go, ask his name.

[The Nurse asks to Tybalt]


When Juliet ask the nurse to ask who the gentlemen is, Juliet gives the order

to the nurse directly and the mission of Juliet is to know about the information about

Romeo. In this case, Juliet’s saying is called direct speech in which the speech is done

directly and the purpose is to make the hearer do something for the speaker. In this

case, the hearer is the nurse.

2. Indirect Speech

The situation takes place in the palace of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark.

After knowing his mother marries his own uncle, he feels so broken heart because she

marries a wicked guy; his uncle and he actually do not want to see the thing like this.

He wants to show his anger but he cannot for he must hold his word to them. A

couple minutes later, there comes Horatio, Hamlet good friend. He visits Hamlet to

see his condition but Hamlet does not want anybody disturbs him.

Hamlet : ……O most wicked speed to post with such dexterity to incestuous

sheets. It is not or it cannot come to good. but break my heart for I

must hold my tongue

Horatio : Hold to your lordship

Hamlet : I am glad to see thee well [Turning around from Horatio]

From the dialogue above, when Hamlet says “I am glad to see thee well”, he

says indirectly to Horatio that Hamlet does not want anybody else disturbs him even

he says that he will welcome the other people to come to him. This speech act is

called indirect speech act. The characteristic of the indirect speech is in the speech

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which the speaker says to the hearer. It does not mention directly the meaning from

the speaker.

- From Hamlet a play written by William Shakespeare –

D. Felicity of Speech Act (Searle Theory)

1). Propositional Context

The situation takes place in the market of Verona when the Capulet servant,

Sampson is going to have a quarrel with the servant from Montague, Abraham. He

says to his friend that he will come back again after making quarrel

Gregory : But the quarrel is between our masters and us their men.

Sampson : Ah, 'tis all one.

Gregory : Here come the house of the Montagues.

Sampson : Quarrel, I will back thee.

Gregory : Right. Fail me not.


When Sampson said” Quarrel, I will back thee.” He actually makes the

promise to the hearer and there will be act that is done by him in the future. In this

case, it is called Propositional Context. As a matter of fact, this felicity will provide

the speaker’s ability to do an action to the future.

2). Sincerity Condition

The situation takes place in the Verona after the large crowd of people

of people of Capulet and Montague quarrel each other. Benvolio, Romeo’s

cousin sees Romeo walk toward the street of the house of Montague. He is

wondering to know what happen to Romeo because since the morning comes he

does not say a word to him.

Benvolio : See, where he comes. [ Saying to Romeo’s mother and father]

So please you, step aside. I'll know his grievance, or be much

denied.

Romeo’s Father : I would thou wert so happy by thy stay, to hear true shrift.

Come, madam. Let's away. [Invite Romeo’s mother to come

inside]


From the dialogue above, there can be said that Benvolion have an

intention to do something for Romeo’s father and mother. He wants to know

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what happens to Romeo recently. In this case Benvolio does the felicity

condition that is Sincerity Condition.

3). Essential Condition

The situation takes place in the balcony of Juliet’s house. Romeo at

first comes from the bush and in the end meeting Juliet to share their love.

Romeo swears to Juliet that will always love her in his life.

Romeo : Lady, by yonder blessed moon, I swear.

Juliet : Oh, swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon, that monthly

changes in her circled orb,


From the dialogue above, Romeo makes his own promise by swearing

to the blessed moon. He wants to prove his love to Juliet by swearing on it but

Juliet refuses him to swear to the moon but swear to himself to love her

forever. In this case, Romeo does one of the felicity conditions that is Essential

Condition.

4). Preparatory Condition

The situation takes place in the palace of Hamlet. The queen wants to

give Hamlet a cup of drink which contain of poison which the king prepared. But

unfortunately Hamlet drinks it later and her mother drinks it later.

The Queen : The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet

Hamlet : Good madam.

The King : Gertrude! (the name of the queen)

Do not drink (notice to the queen)

The queen : I will, my lord. I pray you pardon me.

- From Hamlet a play written by William Shakespeare -

Here the speaker, the queen allows herself to do the action to drink the

poison and allow herself to be drown in the poison. This situation is called

preparatory condition. The notice is in the action of the speaker to allow him or

herself to do the action.

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III . Conclusion

1. The speech act is the action preformed via utterance.

2. Kinds of speech act can be explained as follow:

- Representative Speech Act (The speaker make the affirmative from the hearer)

- Directive Speech Act (The speaker wants the hearer to do something)

- Commisive Speech Act (Making a promise to other people)

- Delarative Speech Act (Giving the info about something to other people)

- Expresive Speech Act (Using the expression from the speaker to utter)

3. The Speech act can be done in:

- Direct Speech (Directly to the point)

- Indirect Speech (Indirect to the point/via other utterance)

4. Felicity Condition can be formed into:

- Propositional Context (Speaker wants to do the action for future)

- Sincerity Condition (Speaker intends to do an Action)

- Essential Condition (The Utterance of linguistic expression as the consideration

to do and action)

- Preparatory Condition (The hearer would prefer the Speaker to do something for

him or her)

o The Felicity itself is something that have to be fulfilled to make the speech

act run well

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REFERENCE

Yule, George, Pragmatics, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996

Huang, Yang, Pragmatics, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007

Retnaningsih, Woro, Pragmatic: The New Branch of Linguistics Studies, Surakarta:

FATABA Press, 2013

Levinson, Stephen.C, Pragmatics, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1983

Rohmadi, Muhammad, Prakmatik: teori dan analisis, Yogyakarta: Lingkar Media Jogja,

2004.

THE SPEECH ACT (The Theory and analysis) as Found in William Shakespere's works

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